Despite
almost constant technological advances, businesses will always have a need for
trained, qualified assistants working in the office place to help the daily
activities of any business run smoothly. Individuals who pursue an office
management degree will find that a short amount of education can get their foot
in the door, and further education at a later date will make their career
options nearly limitless. Those individuals who earn an office administration
degree will find jobs awaiting them in career fields ranging from clerical work
to supervisory positions.
A specific
office administration degree only exists at the Associate’s degree level at
most institutions, but it is more than enough for any individual to get their
foot in the door within the industry. The following are a few examples of
office administration degrees:
· Office Administration Certificate or
Diploma programs
· Associate of Business: Office
Administration
· Associate in Specialized Business:
Medical Office Administration
· Associate of Business Administration
(ABA): Office System
· Associate in Administrative Office
Management
· Associate of Applied Science in
Business Office Administration
· Associate of Applied Science in
Business Administration
· Associate of Applied Science in
Business Administration – Business Management
Certain
programs provide individuals with generalized information important for anyone
wishing to have a career in the business field. Other programs, such as the
Associate in Specialized Business: Medical Office Administration, offer more
specialized training to individuals by providing them with skills deemed
important in a particular setting such as a medical office.
The goal of
any office administration degree program is to provide students with the skills
necessary to work in an office in a clerical role, as an office assistant, or
as a supervisor of other workers in the office. As such office administration
programs require students to take some of the following classes in order to
graduate with the necessary skills:
· Business Information Systems
· Word Processing
· Business Principles
· Accounting
· Business Law
These courses
will provide students with some of the following skills that employers are
looking for:
· Use of business information systems
· Keyboarding
· Business law skills
· Business communications abilities
· Spreadsheet skills
· Supervisory skills
· Database management abilities
· Information systems skills
· Microsoft software skills
· Word processing
Most
individuals interested in a career in office administration either attend a
2-year associate's degree program in the field or gain direct on-the-job
training. There are a few schools, however, that offer 4-year bachelor's degree
programs in office administration. These programs provide students with a
background in computer skills, office equipment, management, human resources
and business law.
The majority
of students enrolled in an office administration program are looking to gain
the skills necessary to provide administrative and business support to an individual
or an entire office. They must learn to answer e-mail correspondence, set up
scheduling programs, order office supplies, book travel, make databases, keep
filing systems intact and provide any amount of additional assistance required
by owners, executives and other business personnel. Some specific industries,
such as the health care and legal fields, offer more detailed degree programs
for aspiring office administrators.
Education
Prerequisites
Most schools
offering degree programs in office administration only require that incoming
students have a high school diploma before applying. Many do request that
students have a basic knowledge of computer systems, a strong grasp of the
English language, oral communication skills and a grade point average of at
least 2.5.
Program
Coursework
The majority
of courses in a bachelor's degree program in office administration are
practical in nature and are designed to teach students specific skills. Some
core course topics might include:
· Business math
· Business communications
· Office procedures
· Business computing
· Word processing
· Spreadsheet applications
· Keyboarding
· Machine transcription
· Basic accounting
· Business law
